


An Unexpected Transformation

by Emiline



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Cats, F/F, Fluff, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiline/pseuds/Emiline
Summary: Caught up in her thoughts about Pippa, Hecate failed to notice the grey cat until she nearly stumbled over her, opening the door.“You,” she drawled, “are not one of the students’ familiars.”“Mrow,” agreed the cat.or, Pippa's visit to Cackle's does not go at all as planned.A remix of twtd'sTransformation Spells
Relationships: Hardbroom/Pentangle (Worst Witch)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 87
Collections: The Worst Witch Remix





	An Unexpected Transformation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twtd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twtd/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Transformation Spells](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15723303) by [twtd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twtd/pseuds/twtd). 



Hecate made her way back to her rooms, trying not to feel too disappointed. She’d been delighted to see Pippa this afternoon, and hoped that she would stay through dinner at least. But Pippa hadn’t shown for the evening meal, and no one seemed to have seen her after classes ended.

“I dare say some issue arose that required her attention, and she didn’t have time to take her leave of you,” Ada had offered kindly. “Perhaps you could mirror her after dinner.”

“I wouldn’t want to trouble her,” Hecate had responded.

“I’m sure she would be glad to hear from you. After all, she did come to visit you.”

“Nonsense. She came to finalize the details of the upcoming choral festival.”

“And you don’t think she and Gwen could have accomplished that by mirror call?” Ada had replied mildly, looking at Hecate over the top of her glasses.

“It’s more efficient in person,” Hecate had persisted.

“Hmm.”

Caught up in her thoughts about Pippa, Hecate failed to notice the grey cat until she nearly stumbled over her, opening the door.

“You,” she drawled, “are not one of the students’ familiars.”

“Mrow,” agreed the cat.

“You’d best come in until we can figure out where you really belong,” Hecate continued. She entered her quarters and the cat followed, rubbing itself against her ankles.

Hecate sighed and leaned back against the door, rubbing her temples. Between the roller coster of emotions she’d gone through about Pippa, and the utter chaos of her third period class, it had been a rather trying day. She walked to her dressing table and sank down into the chair in front of it. She pulled the pins, one by one, from her hair, lining them up neatly in their carved wooden box. With a sigh of relief, she ran her hands through her freed hair. She pulled her hairbrush from the drawer and started brushing with slow, careful strokes, matching the length of her breaths to her action, and began to feel the tension leaving her body.

Perhaps she should mirror Pippa. Just to be sure she’d arrived safely of course, and that whatever issue that had called her back had been satisfactorily resolved. On the other hand—she flicked open her watch—it was a little late for a casual call. She dared not do anything that might tip Pippa off to the extent of her feelings.

It was too early to go to bed, and she was far too agitated besides. A cup of tea, and a book might be in order. Movement caught the corner of her eye, and she remembered her mysterious visitor. She scooped the cat up and held her against her shoulder. The cat purred and bumped her, and Hecate scratched the cat’s head.

“You’re certainly very friendly,” she smiled. “Not a stray then, likely, and you’re not a familiar, at least not from here, so where are you from?”

She examined the cat carefully, reaching out gently with her magic. There was something a bit strange about this cat, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Tomorrow she’d ask Ada or perhaps Algernon to take a look. In the meantime she perused her bookshelf, considering what she might want to read. _The Archaic and Esoteric: Herbs From Around the World_? Soothing, but not gripping enough. _Edwardian Evolution: Chants from 1900 - 1910_? No, she didn’t need something reminding her of the choral festival and by association, Pippa. Ah. _By Hook or By Crook: An Herbalist’s Journey Across the Continent_. That would do. She settled down on her sofa, opened the book to the start of Oressia Goldkettle’s stay in northern Italy, and was soon wholly absorbed in the book. The cat purred in her lap, and she ran her hand down her back.

Oressia had made it all the way to Yalta when the cat jumped off Hecate’s lap, and began to nose around the room. The cat leapt onto Hecate’s desk, managing to knock off several quills in the process. “Mroooo” said the cat. It looked so adorably confused that Hecate couldn’t find it in her heart to scold.

The cat was behaving a bit oddly, even for a cat though. If Hecate didn’t know better, she would say she was looking for something. Suddenly the cat launched herself off the desk towards the bookshelf, yowling in a manner most undignified. She crashed into the shelves, landing on her feet with an expression which if it had been on a person, Hecate would have called dazed. The cat was really astonishingly uncoordinated for its age. Hecate had the sudden, terrifying thought that perhaps Mildred Hubble had somehow managed to turn herself into a feline. She cast a quick locator spell. Mildred was for once where she was supposed to be in, in her room, and revising, Hecate hoped.

“Stop!” Hecate cried as the cat bit, actually _bit_ one of the books and dragged it off the shelf. “What on earth are you doing?” The cat stared at her, moved over a few paces, and bit another book.

“That is quite enough!” Hecate scolded. “Books are to be treated with respect, you should know that, witches’ familiar or not.” She made to come over to the books and put them back on the shelf.

The cat put her paw on one of them and yowled. 

“Transformation Spells?” Hecate frowned, reading the title. The cat yowled more loudly.

“You’re not trying to tell me,” Hecate began slowly, “that you’re not—are you not a cat?”

The cat—whatever or whoever she was—wiggled in a way that Hecate took as a “no”. 

“If you’re not a cat,” Hecate asked, “then what does Pippa’s book have to do with this?” she indicated the other volume the cat had unceremoniously ripped from the shelf.

The cat glared at her and smacked her paws down next to Pippa’s name on the cover.

“You’re not,” Hecate felt quite ill all of a sudden, “You cannot possibly be Pippa, can you?”

“Mrowwwww” said the cat.

“Right. I’ll need room to work the spell to turn you back. Would you go to the clear spot there, please?”

It was going to be a bit tricky without knowing how Pippa had gotten into this state, but not impossible. Hecate took several deep breaths, and considered her options.

“By lavender and peppermint  
By honey and by lime  
By birch and twig effect this switch  
and turn this cat back into a witch”

Pippa, if it _was_ Pippa, remained in feline form.

“Perhaps Ada was right and I have been working too hard,” Hecate mused. “Perhaps you are exactly what you appear to be.”

The cat yowled.

“Or not.” Hecate sighed. “You may as well stay here tonight, whoever you are. Please refrain from knocking my property about, if you would.”

Did the cat nod? Hecate blinked, and shook her head to clear it. The cat stared back at her.

“Tea,” Hecate said firmly. 

* * *

A cup of lemon peppermint tea in hand, Hecate settled back into the sofa and drew a blanket across her knees. “You may sit on my lap, if you wish,” she informed the cat, who jumped up and made herself comfortable.

Hecate realized she ought to have changed into her nightclothes before inviting a cat to make her its bed. She turned her mind to the problem of the spell. The difficulty was, knowing so little about the circumstances increased the variables one had to account for. Likely it was the fault of one of the students, but she had no desire to rouse the entire school to attempt to locate the culprit.

Was it possible that physical contact was necessary? It couldn’t hurt to try. Hecate put her tea cup in its saucer, placed both hands on the cat, and repeated the chant. The cat remained stubbornly cat-like. Then she felt a flicker of something. And the something flickered again.

* * *

An hour later, Pippa was still not back to her normal self, although Hecate could tell that the spell was working. She rubbed her eyes. It was very tempting to go to bed, but she didn’t want to leave Pippa alone, and it seemed inappropriate intimate to take Pippa to bed, even in her current form. Hecate performed a quick changing spell to put on her nightgown, and dragged the blanket off the back of the sofa. 

* * *

Hecate awoke sometime later, aware of movement on the couch. Her hand brushed hair, not fur, and she looked down to see Pippa, fully human, curled up asleep, her head in Hecate’s lap. Pippa’s hair had come undone and some was sticking out at an angle from under her cheek. It was rather adorable, though Hecate would not have admitted it aloud. Surely Pippa would be more comfortable in a nightgown? Hecate shook Pippa’s shoulder, but Pippa just yawned and burrowed deeper into the sofa. Hecate made a motion, and Pippa was clad in Hecate’s spare flannel gown. It was likely a little warm for the weather, but it was the best Hecate could do, under the circumstances. Her breath hitched at the sight of Pippa in her nightclothes.

 _Don’t be a fool,_ Hecate told herself. _She’s your friend, nothing more. Whatever else may have passed between you is long, long past_

Pippa stretched, let out a little sigh, and then her eyes fluttered open. “Hiccup?” she asked, her confusion plain.

“Welcome back.” Hecate could feel herself smiling out of all proportion, but she couldn’t help it.

“I had the strangest dream,” Pippa continued sleepily. She frowned, and plucked a grey hair off Hecate’s nightgown. “Hiccup?”

“Not a dream, I’m afraid.”

“Goodness.” She digested this. “I’m in your lap.”

“Glad to see you have mastered basic observation skills,” Hecate replied with a teasing smile. “Full marks, Miss Pentangle.”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Pippa made to lift her head but Hecate stopped her with a touch.

“You’re not.” _I am rather enjoying it_ , Hecate added silently.

“Oh. Good, I’m enjoying it too.”

Hecate tensed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Did I…did I say that out loud?” she asked weakly.

“Mmm, the bit about enjoying it? I’m afraid so, darling.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t mind that you said it. Not one bit. Darling,” Pippa laid a hand on Hecate’s wrist. “Please don’t forget to breathe.”

Hecate gulped some air.

Pippa sat up, and Hecate felt the loss. But it seemed Pippa was just readjusting, and soon she was curled up against Hecate.

“Feeling better?”

“A little,” Hecate said.

“It’s late. Perhaps we should go to bed.”

“What?” Hecate squeaked.

“Not like that. Not unless you want to, of course,” Pippa threw her a cheeky grin. “I just mean to sleep.”

“Ah,” Hecate wondered what had happened to her vocabulary, which seemed to have devolved into single-syllable words.

“You’re very adorable when you’re flustered, did you know that?”

“Grown witches are not adorable.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.” She felt a bit giddy. If this was flirting, no wonder people found it to be an enjoyable pursuit.

“Nevertheless,” Pippa kissed her cheek, “you are adorable, Hecate Hardbroom.”

Oh, this was fun.

“Would you—“ she stopped, taken back by her own audacity.

“Would I what?”

“Would you,” Hecate tried again, shyness overtaking her, “kiss me properly?”

“You’re not just saying that because you think I want it, are you?”

Hecate shook her head. “I—I want it too.”

They moved towards each other, and their noses bumped. 

“Sorry,” Pippa laughed. “Shall we try again?”

This time, they navigated the perils of facial features correctly, and their lips met in a slow, sweet kiss.

“Oh my giddy bats,” Pippa breathed.

“Perhaps we should do it again.” Hecate suggested.“Absolutely.”

Hecate tugged Pippa onto her lap and pulled her close. Pippa sighed happily against her mouth and tangled her fingers in Hecate’s hair, as they kissed again and again.

Pippa yawned.

“I didn’t realize I was boring you,” Hecate teased.

“You most certainly were not.” She yawned again. “Oh Hiccup, I’m sorry. I’m just so exhausted, all of a sudden.

“That, I imagine, is a side effect of the transformation spell.”

“I suppose so.”

“You can have the bed, I’ll sleep out here.”

“I’m not kicking you out of your own bed.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“ _I’ll_ take the couch.”

“Absolutely not. You are my guest, Pippa.”

“We could both sleep in the bed, if you’re comfortable with that.”

“I suppose that would be an adequate solution. The right side is mine.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Pippa grinned. 

They crawled into bed.

“Sweet dreams, Hiccup,” Pippa said sleepily.

Hecate leaned over and pressed a kiss to Pippa’s forehead. “Sleep well.”

**Author's Note:**

> The book titles (and Pippa's book) are all, with the exception of _By Hook and By Crook_ from twtd's fic.


End file.
